Steve Reilly on Twitter noticed, late Monday (10/30/17), that there are four sealed cases listed on the U.S. District Court’s docket in Washington, D.C., located on the docket between George Papadopoulos’s sealed plea-bargain (#182) and Paul Manafort’s sealed indictment (#201).

My son who is an attorney said that he subscribes to a service where he can see the docket information. There are four sealed indictments between the two indictments. But this does not mean that the missing documents have been filed by Mr. Mueller.

MANAFORT/ GATES/ PAPADOPOULOS

A relatively high percentage of criminal cases that are filed within a court system are sealed which means that the 4 sealed indictments could be the work of other attorneys. The indictment against George Papadopoulos is dated 10/5/17 while the charges against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were filed on 10/27/17. There is a good possibility that the missing sealed indictments could be the work products of others especially in a busy court district like Washington DC. And yes, some or all of these missing documents could also be sealed indictments filed by Mr. Mueller.

There is another indication that the special counsel may have issued another indictment which has not been unsealed.

If you look on page1 out of 31 pages of Mr. Muller’s indictment against the republican President Donald J. Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, there is a reference to “Document B.” [Read the Manafort and Gates indictment]. The question then is, where is “Document A?” The person targeted for this indictment is anyone’s guess. The list of names could include Jared Kushner, General Mike Flynn or even Tony Podesta because of his work with Paul Manafort and Ukraine. My guess would be Tony Podesta.

TONY PODESTA/ ROBERT MUELLER III

Here is the rest of the story…

On October 30, 2017, Anna Palmer of Politico penned the following report, “Tony Podesta stepping down from lobbying giant amid Mueller probe.”

Excerpts:

“Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group, is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after coming under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.”

“Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday (10/30/17) morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.”

TONY PODESTA

“”Podesta’s decision to leave the firm came on the same day that former Donald Trump campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were indicted on multiple charges, including money laundering, operating as federal agents of the Ukrainian government, failing to disclose overseas bank accounts and making false statements to federal authorities. Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials, according to court records.”

“The investigation into Podesta and his firm grew out of investigators’ examination of Manafort’s finances. Manafort organized a PR campaign on behalf of a nonprofit called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine. Podesta Group was one of several firms that were paid to do work on the PR campaign to promote Ukraine in the U.S.”

GENERAL MIKE FLYNN/ PAUL MANAFORT/ TONY PODESTA

“Podesta Group filed paperwork with the Justice Department in April stating that it had done work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine that also benefited the same Ukrainian political party that Manafort once advised. Podesta Group said at the time it believed its client was a European think tank untethered to a political party.”

“Podesta is handing over full operational and financial control of the firm to longtime firm CEO Kimberley Fritts, according to multiple sources with knowledge of Monday’s meeting. Fritts and a senior group of the Podesta team will be launching a new firm in the next one or two days. Sources said the transition has been in the works for the past several months.”

“Podesta has long been a larger than life figure on K Street, growing his business from a boutique firm into a massive lobbying and public relations operation. He is well known for his flashy dressing, vast art collection, generous campaign donations across all levels of Democratic politics and, of course, for his brother John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.”

“Podesta Group has struggled in the wake of the Mueller investigation. More than a dozen of its lobbying clients have cut ties with the firm this year, according to lobbying filings. Revenues have also declined: The firm brought in an estimated $4.8 million in the third quarter of 2017, down from $5.2 million in the second quarter of 2017 and from $6.1 million in the third quarter of 2016.”

7 comments

Gronda, it will be interesting. If it is indeed Podesta, that would validate Mueller is impartial to some who inappropriately question this ethical man. I think other indictments are in the works and maybe the other three documents might include some of the other names. Again, the ethical and competent manner of Mueller’s team frightens more than a few. Keith

The underlying scandal here being all this money swilling around does nothing to help the ordinary people. It does not create jobs, it gives nothing to the community. Its services are at best nebulous. Rich serving rich.

Paul Manafort has led the life of luxury and high finances. He is the one to squeeze as I find it hard to believe that at 60 years of age that he would want to trade in his life of luxury for a jail cell.

These rich folks think that they are subject to special rules. They are in for a rude awakening.